Examinations and assessment guidelines

Examination board guidelines and assessment procedures (UG and PG) spring-autumn 2024

Examination board guidelines and assessment procedures have been reviewed and updated for the operation of examination boards and publishing of assessment results, during spring and autumn 2024. Previous versions of these guidelines should be disregarded.

Guidance for students

Guidance for students has been developed which provides answers to key questions and guidance on, for example, completion, examinations and how decisions are made after Exam Boards.

Guidance for examination boards

Please refer to the ‘Key points to highlight’ document for a summary of recent changes and introductions. All examination board guidelines and assessment procedures (UG and PGT) are listed below.

Examination board guidance
Document  Number Document Title
A Key Points to Highlight
B Academic Decision-Making: Summary of Approach (for Staff)
C Academic Decision-Making: Guidelines for Boards of Examiners in Maintaining Academic Standards (for Staff)
D Examination Boards Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1 Undergraduate and Postgraduate Assessment Procedures
2 Decisions and Decision Codes
3 Policy on the Discretionary Award of Credits
4 Heriot-Watt University Assessment and Progression System (HAPS)
5 Guidelines on Complying with SCQF
6a Policy for Undergraduate Degree-Classification Borderline Cases
6b Policy for Postgraduate Taught Degree-Classification Borderline Cases
7 Managing Online Assessment due to VLE Access Holds and IT Services Access Holds
8 Policy on Mitigating Circumstances in Relation to Assessment
9 Appeals Against Examiner’s Recommendations of Award
10 Managing Suspended Examination Boards
11a
Briefings Chairs of Examination Boards; Deans' Representatives
11b Board of Examiners – Remote Meeting Guidance
12a Guidelines for Deans, Associate Deans and Representatives 
12b Deans' Report Proforma
13 Examination Paper Format Guidelines

Key information

Amanda Lyness

Helen Crosby-Knox